Healy Retains, McKee Earns Title at MFC 20

ENOCH, Alberta –- Welterweight champion Pat Healy
proved that history can repeat itself, as he defeated local star
Ryan
Ford via split decision in their rematch at MFC 20 “Destined
for Greatness” on Friday at the River Cree Casino and Resort. In a
close fight, Healy wielded an impressive array of submission
attempts and kept the heavy-handed Ford at bay over five
rounds.

In their first encounter seven months ago, Ford was well ahead in
the bout before leaving his arm exposed for the fight-ending
submission. This time, the bout was much more evenly matched. In
the end, judges Brian Bernhardt and Bill Warwick scored the bout
48-47 for Healy, while judge Tom Collins saw the bout 48-47 for
Ford. Sherdog.com had the bout 48-47 for Healy.

Ford started off strong, landing a few shots and slams in the first
round. The middle three rounds were all very close, but Healy won
them with his multiple submission attempts.

Ford managed to come on strong in the fifth round, again landing
some shots and even trying his own choke, but it was too little,
too late as time ran out on the popular local standout.

"It was a really tough five-round war," said Healy, who moves to
20-13 with the victory. "There was way more grappling than I
thought there was going to be. Quite a few times I had him in bad
position, but he is just so hard to finish. He really tightened up
his game since the last time we fought. Much more well-rounded than
before."

Healy, who arrived in Edmonton by bus from Vancouver because of
flight issues, was weary about leaving a close fight in the hands
of the judges in his opponent’s hometown, but he believed he was
the rightful winner.

"The first round was close, it could have gone either way,” he
said. “I thought I had rounds two, three, and four based on my
grappling and you’d have to give him the fifth. I knew I won the
fight, I just had to wait for the judges to confirm it."

Rob King/Sherdog.com

Pat Healy works a
twister on Ryan Ford.

Healy does not have to look far for his next challenger. Nick
Thompson put himself in line for a title shot in the semi-main
event of the evening as he defeated British import Paul Daley by
unanimous decision.

In what turned out to be the fight of the night, both guys showed
well-rounded games mixing up striking and grappling. The fighters
exchanged blows on the feet for most of the first two rounds before
turning to the ground in the third. It was Thompson’s ground game
in the third set that was the deciding factor on the
scorecards.

“I really think I frustrated him. He did fairly well; his kicks
were really working for him. But he figured out I was too long for
him," said the 27-year-old Thompson, now 38-10-1. "I knew it was
even going into the third. I had a crappy takedown attempt, but I
ended up on top and once I got on top I knew I had the fight."

The three judges turned in 30-27 and two 29-28 scores. Sherdog
agreed with the 29-28 scorecard.

"I was a little worried that the judges might have given Daley the
second round as a 10-8 round, but other than that I was not worried
at all," said Thompson.

Former IFL coach and fighter Antonio
McKee stepped back into the ring following an 18-month lay-off
to claim the vacant MFC lightweight title with a unanimous decision
over veteran fighter Derrick
Noble by 49-46 tallies all around.

After dropping the first round to Noble thanks in part to a big
punch-kick combo that momentarily stunned him, McKee went back to
his roots and used his wrestling to control Noble for the remaining
four rounds. McKee relied on his striking more then in previous
fights, but in the end he returned to what has worked for him time
and time again: multiple takedowns followed by
ground-and-pound.

"I know I’m American but I think I have found my home here in
Canada," said McKee (22-3-2). "I will keep coming back to the MFC
looking to keep doing what I do until someone stops me."

Bryan
Baker penciled himself into a middleweight title fight at MFC
21 with a knockout victory over “The Ultimate Fighter” alumnus
Rory
Singer with just 4 seconds left in the first round. After
surviving a deep armbar attempt from Singer midway through the
first, Baker managed to catch Singer with a single punch to the
head just as the round was coming to an end.

David
Heath picked himself up a much-needed victory tonight over
former MFC light heavyweight champion Roger
Hollett. As soon as the fight hit the ground, Heath showed his
superiority and managed to catch the former champ in a fight-ending
guillotine choke. Heath had lost four of his previous five fights
and Hollett has now dropped three of his last four.

Opening the televised portion of the card, “The Ultimate Fighter”
graduate Solomon
Hutcherson defeated Dave
Mewborn via unanimous decision in a spirited affair that left
the crowd on their feet as the final bell sounded.